Motor driven tooth brush



Jan. 9, 1962 w. en E-r 3,015,833

MOTOR DRIVEN TOOTH BRUSH Filed March 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. W/LL/M G-/Lf BY @MAW Jan 9, 1962 w. GILET 3,015,833

MOTOR DRIVEN TOOTH BRUSH Filed March 9. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet-2 Win/ INVENTOR.

3,015,833 M0103 DRIVEN TTH BRUSH William Gilet, 2704 Schurz Ave., New York, NSY. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 798,049 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-23) This invention relates to a motor driven tooth brush adapted primarily for personal use.

It has been found that motor driven tooth brushes have the tendency of moving away from the teeth due to the impact of the rotary brushes thereagainst. Thus, such tooth brushes have a tendency to wobble in the mouth rendering it necessary to exert considerable pressure of the rotary brushes against the teeth in order to maintain the same in contact therewith. The present invention overcomes this objection by providing a tooth brush having both rotary and fixed bristles whereby the tooth brush may be readily controlled in the brushing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush with rotary brushes having clumps of bristles arranged between tixed clumps of bristles whereby the teeth are alternately subject to the action of the rotary and fixed clumps so as to effect a thorough brushing and cleansing of the teeth.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means by which the rotary bristles may be conveniently cleansed without removing the same from the brush head.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tooth brush constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same connected with an electric motor and plug.

FlG. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a similar View taken approximately on line 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken approximately on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a similar View taken approximately on line 5 5 of FIG. l.

FIG. 6 is an under side view of the tooth brush head removed from the handle thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the tooth brush includes an elongated handle 10 and a head 11 formed with a threaded shank 12 which threadedly engages in a threaded opening 13 in the handle member for removably connecting the head thereto. The head is provided with an upper face 14 of general concave formation extending between the end walls 15 and 16 and journalled for rotation therebetween are parallel shafts 17 and 18. The shaft 17 extends through the shank 12 and is coupled within the handle as at 19 with a flexible drive shaft 20. The shaft 20 protrudes through the end of the handle and is connected with an electric plug 21 having an electric motor 22 arranged therein and connected with terminals 23 for engagement in an electric socket. The shafts 17 and 1S are provided with longitudinally spaced cylindrical brush sections 24 and 25 respectively, the bristles of which are affixed to the shafts and project radially outward from the peripheries thereof. The rotary brush sections 24 are arranged in staggered relation with reference to the rotary brush sections 25 and with the inner peripheral edge portions of said brush sections overlapping between the shafts as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

Aiiixed to the upper face 14 of the brush head 11 at one side thereof is a row of longitudinally spaced clumps or tufts of bristles 26 extending upwardly from the upper States @arent 3,015,833 Patented Jan.` 9, 1962 face 14 thereof and affixed to said upper face 14 at the opposite side thereof is a row of longitudinally spaced clumps or tufts of bristles 27 which extend upwardly from the inner face 14 thereof. The clumps of bristles 26 are staggered with relation to the clumps of bristles 27 and the shafts 17 and 18 extend between the said rows with the brush sections 24 projecting between the adjacent clumps 26 respectively and the brush sections 25 projecting between the adjacent clumps 27 respectvely. The brush sections 24 are rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed toward the outer end, while the brush sections 25 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction and for this purpose the shaft 18 has a gear 29 affixed thereto which is disposed in meshing engagement with a gear 28 axed to the shaft 17 which is rotated by the turning of the ilexible drive shaft 20. In order to prevent contact of the gears with the teeth in the brushing operation, the end wall 16 is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 30 extending over the gears which are arranged close to the wall 16.

In order to provide means for cleaning the brush sections 24 and 25, the brush head 11 is provided with a dovetail slot 31 which opens through the outer end thereof and through the outer face 32 and the upper face 14 and extends inwardly into overlying relation with the end wall 16. A slide 33 slidably fits the slot and is normally retained therein by engagement of the side edges thereof with the sides of the slot and with the ends of the slide resting upon the end walls 15 and 16. The portion of the shaft 17 within the handle 10 together with the end of the drive shaft 20 and the coupling 19 loosely fit the longitudinal opening in the handle whereby the head 11 may be turned with reference to the handle 10 so as to disconnect the said parts.

It will be understood that the 4handle 10 may be used for different lengths and widths of brush heads 11 whereby the same handle may be used for brush heads for children as well as adults. The handle 10 and the casing of the electric plug 21 are preferably of insulating material such as hard rubber or thermoplastic.

`v/Vhile the preferred form of the invention has been' shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications of the invention which fall within the purview thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tooth brush, an elongated brush head including a bottom wall and end walls, a pair of parallel shafts extending longitudinally of said brush head and rotatably mounted at their ends in said end walls, interengaging gearing means mounted on said shafts at one end of said brush head for the rotation of said shafts in unison, each of said parallel shafts having a series of cylindrical brush sections spaced apart longitudinally thereof for rotation therewith, a series of clumps of bristles affixed to said bottom wall in spaced relation longitudinally of said brush head and arranged in a row along each longitudinal side edge portion of said bottom wall, each of the clumps of bristles in one of said rows being arranged between adjacent cylindrical brush sections of one of said shafts, and each of the clumps of bristles in the other row being arranged between Vadjacent cylindrical brush sections of saidY UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,067 Alexander Jan. 11, 1876 432,497

1,950,767 Abbott Mar. 13, 1934 5 934,142 2,175,975 Steiner Oct. 10, 1939 2,798,237 Grover July 9, 1957 FOREEGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 4, 1929 Italy Mar. 20, 1948 France Jan. 7, 1948 

